Welcome to the Vortex Club
by IfAngelsDream
Summary: [AU] Welcome to the Vortex Support Group, where we can sit around and try to help each other out because lord knows nobody else will. An AU where everyone is alive, everyone becomes friends and tries to help each other with their issues. Discover the friendships and romances of Max, Chloe, Kate, Nathan and Victoria (and maybe more!) Ratings may change later on.
1. The Vortex what?

The first time she saw Nathan like this, she was angry – really fucking pissed off. How could he just ignore her for hours? How dare he just brush her off and think he can avoid her just because he was having a bit of a bad day, they were meant to be best friends, all that bullshit nonsense that apparently meant nothing to him! She didn't do that to him, she never would so what gave that boy the right to just-

It was only once she stood with Nathan at her feet did her heart sink – Nathan wasn't just messing around, it wasn't a once off thing. This was normal for him; the clawing at his arms and scalps, the first scar that tried to hide under his baggy sleeves that made her feel sick to think there was possibly more, the way his clothes hung off him in a way she never noticed. This so called "King of Blackwell" was just a kid like the rest of them trying to wade through waters too deep to swim alone.

So here she was once again, in his room that was just as destroyed by rage and sorrow as the first time, with her arms full of this sobbing wreck of a boy as he clutched her cashmere sweater and let it soak in his tears. Nowadays, she doesn't even complain about the dampness.

"It's okay, Nathan, let it out..." She murmured in a soothing tone, rubbing circles into his back; "Everything is going to be okay... say it with me, Nathan..."

She kept repeating the mantra until Nathan mumbled it back at her, his voice cracked and quiet still clinging to her like a lifeline.

"Well done, now let's get you cleaned up."

Nathan nodded and with Victoria guiding him, he ended up in the bathroom where he shut down as he focused on Victoria's face instead of the stinging pain from his self-inflicted wounds and even the phantom pain of the ageing ones. Her eyes met with his halfway through whatever she was ranting about or saying – he normally paid attention, it kept him grounded if it felt like they were just talking about anything, anything that was considerably normal.

That wasn't crazy like him.

"Nathan, Nathan don't you be spacing out on me again!" Victoria snapped her fingers in front of his face to catch his attention.

"Sorry, Tori... just tired. Carry on." he mumbled, giving her a lazy smile. Her frown narrowed further as she resumed to clean his arms.

With a sigh and the shake of her head, "I'm just pissed that there isn't anywhere for you to go with this, anywhere you feel comfortable... where you don't feel alone."

"I don't feel alone with you." came Nathan's response, his hand wrapping round her wrist. Victoria's heart sank once more, she loved Nathan; he was like a brother.

 _'I can't keep doing this, it's exhausting alone...'_

She opted to nod instead and smile.

"You never will, Nathan."

* * *

Kate's room was warm and cozy, and to Chloe; a little too religious or _'too cult'_ for her liking. Not that Chloe would say that aloud at the risk of being stabbed with Max's bony elbows of doom. Hella' painful, and totally not worth it.

Chloe rubbed her arm, leaning on her right leg as she took in her surroundings – this was the first time she had ever been in Kate's room and it was way too tame for her liking, it felt too uniformed and too clean but apparently, this was messy for Kate. Chloe didn't get it, it looked clean except a few dirty clothes and was that a bottle of wine?

Maybe "Sunday Best" does have a wild side... Good job she kept that to herself too, Max would have probably hit her and gave that disappointed frown. She didn't really like that look, it made her feel guilty and Chloe mother-fucking Price doesn't do guilt – too punk for that shit. Maybe. Not really.

She turned her attention back to Max and Kate; Kate looked pale, fragile and exhausted. Her blonde bun had stray hairs starting to fall out and it was beginning to lose its shape. Chloe would have hugged her, if that wasn't weird or super awkward – it was just the feeling she got radiating from Kate.

Or was that herself? Maybe both.

Max on the other hand looked confident in comparison to Kate, clutching the blonde's hands in hers with a face of pleading – something about something, probably trying to cheer her friend up. Chloe tuned out long ago, she only came because Max said that more people meant more moral support so after introductions were said, Chloe's brain started to float.

"Chloe will come with us too!"

That brought her back.

"Huh? What ya' say?"

Max smiled, her eyes begging as she stared back at Chloe's confused face.

"This, you know, the Vortex Support Club. We'll be there, won't we?" Max handed her the poster, her voice had an undertone of _'You have no choice, Chloe, you're going and that is final'_ to it. Max grew a pair, Chloe prided herself in her influence on Max in the recent days. It was totally her influence.

She stared at the leaflet, the black and red swirling colours merging with one another into what was obviously a vortex with white text over the top stating the club times and where it would take place. Chloe really didn't care nor did she want to go but with Max staring at her like with expectedly and Kate's fragile demeanour that reminded her of a place she once was – scared, alone and clinging for anything that even looked like it would give her hope.

"Yeah, I'll go with. Whatever you think will help." Chloe murmured, nodding at Kate with a curve of her lips. Kate smiled back shyly as a response whispering a thank you to the two.

Max wrapped her arms around Kate pulling the girl into a warm hug, it made Chloe uncomfortable – she didn't really have to be here. It felt like an invasion of their privacy. She kept her eyes averted until Max and Kate parted and the daring duo went back on their way.

"Thanks for doing this, Chloe. I know you might get bored and all but Kate needs all the support she can and who knows? Maybe she'll be a good influence on you!" Max smiled, nudging Chloe a little to get a response. Chloe scoffed, her lips curving into a full-fledged grin that could rival the Cheshire Cat.

"Or maybe I'll be a bad influence on her."

* * *

Warren fumbled with his phone, sat on his plain bed-sheet; his eyes frantically scanned around his room for some grounding. Breathe in, breathe out.

What's the colour of the walls?

 _'White, with lots of sketches of mine I had painted. I wanted to make the room more me, instead of using tacky wallpaper or some dull colour. The characters are from my favourite games and movies.'_

Okay, a bit better. What could he smell?

 _'I can smell the air from outside... and the weed from the dorm hallways, thanks to the mass of junkies in this school – well, it is an art school I suppose...'_

The brunette made his way to the window, slowly and shakily, and looked outside. Inhale, exhale. Much better, calmer. More relaxed. More like himself.

Warren looked down at his phone and erased the message, replacing it with another; _**Hey Max, what you up to? - 11:00AM**_

There we go, normal old Warren just talking to a friend, who just happens to be the girl he is crushing on so bad. He laughed nervously to himself, before going to sit at his computer with a few raids in mind, to take him mind off of the urge to panic more over nothing. So he didn't have the biggest problems in Arcadia Bay, but that didn't stop him from having a lot of built up anxiety about general everyday things (like people, tests, parents, failure...) but he didn't really talk about it. No point after all, people have enough shit in their lives.

Why should Warren make it worse? He pondered, lost in thought that even the World of Warcraft music couldn't drag him out of his trance.

Oddly enough, his ghostbuster's text alert could. Probably due to the vibration function. He meant to turn that off so many times, Warren thought, as he jolted to life and smacked his knee on the under part of his desk.

"Ah fuck! Jesus, shit... damn, that hurt..." Warren whined, rubbing his knee like a magic lamp – no wishes from this, I'm afraid. He picked up his phone, biting his lower lip before deciding to unlock it and just read the message, it's not like Max was going to caps-lock him an angry text just for asking what she was doing.

 _ **Hey warren, just hanging up flyers for this support thing. Victoria kinda forced me into doing her dirty work, just shoved them in my hands and walked off. Weird right? - Super Max, 11:03AM.**_

He grimaced at Victoria Chase's mention; he didn't know her well but she pushed Max around a lot, bullying her and generally treated people like shit. That was a good enough reason for Warren to dislike her without even needing a peek from her Highness herself, but a support thing? Did she mean a support group?

It wasn't a bad idea, Blackwell didn't really have a counsellor within the school grounds and with students like Nathan Prescott around, who doesn't need some one on one? Or even just a group of students to sympathise with?

 _ **You interested? I'm taking kate with chloe - Super Max, 11:05AM**_

Another text. If Warren was completely honest, yes he was interested and if Max was going, it was just another reason to go himself. That's it, Warren made up his mind.

 _ **Sure, send me the dets? - 11:05AM**_

Warren smiled to himself, locking his phone as he stared out the window. Yeah, this was a good choice. He could feel it was, besides, more time to spend with Max and maybe even get to know Kate and Chloe better (Warren seriously needed more friends outside of Max and Brooke), what's the worse that could happen?


	2. Welcome to the Vortex Club!

Kate stood to the side of Max with Chloe following not far behind them. Kate started fidgeting with her crucifix trying to find comfort in the small golden cross. Thoughts were racing through her head, her eyes fixated on the door at the end of the hall that would house this Vortex club Max told her about.

She could vaguely pick up bits of the conversations between Max and Chloe, something about not being rude; if anything Max ever said was to go by, and it was directed at Chloe. Not that Chloe wasn't a nice person, actually she seemed very nice, a little loud and wild but nice.

Kate slowed to a stop once they reached the end of the hall, and she looked at Max who gave her a nod and a soft smile.

"We're right here with you, Kate."

Kate smiled, and glanced at Chloe who gave her thumbs up and a flash of a grin. Kate smiled with more confidence before shakily grabbing the door handle and walking through as she pushed the door open. Inside, the windows were open to let in the breeze and the room was well-lit just like most the classrooms on this side of the school. Her eyes wandered to the people already in the room.

Warren Graham – Max's cute friend – was sat next to Stella who smiled shyly at her and waved a little, only half-listening to Warren's conversation which abruptly came to a halt as he stood up to greet Max with open arms. She giggled a little when Max tried to wave as he approached only for it to get turned into an awkward hug.

Looking for an empty seat, she turned round catching the door open. Her breath hitched and her eyes widened with a mixture of anxiety and fear.

* * *

Nathan's eyes locked with Kate's own, his face twisting into a scowl but his insides twisted with guilt. He and Victoria may have not been the nicest of people to Kate Marsh, making fun of her religion and her abstinence posters and even sending out a viral video after getting Kate completely smashed at a party where she made out with half the male students that were on campus.

It spread like wildfire and Nathan could only laugh and mock her further but inside, he felt awful knowing she must hate herself and the world around her. He was sure Victoria felt guilty too.

Victoria pushed him a little, a small nudge to bring him out of his trance. He scoffed and shrugged past Kate before sitting on a chair close to the window where he could breathe in the fresh air, ignoring the mumbles of Max and her damn posse best he could as they directed Kate towards chairs far from Nathan. Victoria raised an eyebrow as she seated herself beside Nathan, folder on her lap.

"So, welcome to our first club meeting I suppose." Victoria began to speak as she kept her eyes on Nathan at first before they steeled over for her ice queen façade. "I guess this is a safe place where people can help each other and talk. Max, you want to take over since this was _your_ idea?"

Nathan rolled his eyes – Victoria would never admit to wanting to help anyone else outside of Nathan, and even then, she was super vague about that. Guess they both had reputations to uphold as King Douche and Queen Bitch of Blackwell but he knew it was due to Victoria's own insecurities. He glanced at Max's dumbfounded face that started to redden as everyone turned to stare at her expectantly. What a hipster bitch with her dumb friends and god damn it all.

"Um... Okay… Thank you, Victoria…?" Max stumbled over her words, it made Nathan snort quietly with laughter. Dumb-ass. "Maybe we should go round in a circle? Share some things we'd like to discuss or just about ourselves?" It was more of a question than a suggestion. Such leadership, well done Caulfield.

* * *

"Who'll go first?" Warren asked aloud, looking round. "I mean, someone has to."

Everyone mumbled, some shrunk in their chairs. It seemed it was up to him; Warren Graham to the rescue!

The brunette stood up, waving at everyone in the room; "Hi, I'm Warren and I... um… I suffer from anxiety which tends to result in panic attacks." He sat down, catching Max's surprised look.

"I didn't know Warren-" Max started, placing a hand on Warren's shoulder.

"Oh no, Max, it's fine. I never really told anyone outside my family. It's not that big of a deal, it's mainly to do with people and failure." Warren shrugged it off, smiling at her. Nice to get it off his chest and he felt he was a bit closer to her as friends.

"Well, you've got us now to help you." Max reassured. It made Warren flush a faint pink, his smile stretching wider because when Max was so personal with him, in her sweet way; he couldn't help but feel happy. That was until he heard Nathan calling him gay across the room just above a murmur.

Chloe glared at Nathan, flipping him off; "Shut the fuck up, Prescott." She gave Warren a wink and her lop-sided smirk. "I got your back dude; just don't be stealing my girl with them puppy eyes of yours!"

The brunette boy couldn't tell if it was a joke or not, especially when Chloe wrapped an arm around Max and pulled her in close with a hearty laugh but he laughed along, even if it was more half-hearted on his end.

"So who's next?"

* * *

People slowly went round the circle, nobody quite brave to give full details. Stella had a poverty stricken family and that it caused a lot of issues that she wasn't ready to dive into just yet; Max mentioned she wish she cared a little less about fitting in and wanted to be more assertive; Chloe had problems with her step-dad back home and was dealing with the death of someone special to her – to which Max squeezed her hand when Chloe's voice wavered and Kate gave her a half-hug, unsure if it was appropriate to do so; Victoria shrugged the question off, saying she had no problems to which Nathan snorted – Victoria moved to sit on her own chair a bit away from Nathan after that; Kate shared her depression, her eyes trained on the floor tiles under her feet as she spoke about the video in minimal detail and that only left Nathan for last.

All eyes were on him, mostly frowns and fearful eyes. It made him itch under his skin. He wanted them to go away, hoping his own scowl would have them fleeing for their lives.

It didn't.

"...I don't want to." He forced out, looking away. He caught Victoria's scowl.

"Nathan, come on... _Max_ worked hard to sort of this club." Victoria hissed quietly, her gaze never breaking from his. He felt a pang of guilt, then uneasiness and anxiety kicked in. Eyes kept staring, expecting something, anything from him. So much pressure – so many expectations. Like from his family. Like from Blackwell. From everyone.

 _'I cant do it... Stop staring, stop, god fucking stop looking at me, fucking stop!'_ he couldn't keep the thoughts relaying, his breathing quickened and eyes darted back and forth between everyone. Victoria must have noticed because she got up to approach him but he swung himself from his chair, darting into the centre with a stumble.

"S-Stop staring at me! What the fuck do you want from me? Why the fuck would you even care?! You all hate me!" the boy screamed, gripping his jacket close around him as his eyes widened with fear.

"Nathan-" Victoria started, a hand slowly reaching out. Nathan span to face it then bolted in the direction of the door.

The room went quiet, awkward. No-one made a sound.


End file.
